|
|
|
News at a Glanceby Nancy Ellegate The HWFC Board of Directors met on Wednesday, August 7 and Wednesday, September 4. August 7th Meeting Survey The Membership committee recommended conducting an in-store survey of members and non-members on such issues as reasons for shopping at the Coop and customer satisfaction. It was proposed and passed that draft survey be circulated among Board members for comment and that the Membership committee conduct the survey. General Manager Search It was proposed and passed that the Search committee pre-screen and interview candidates and then refer three candidates on to the Board. Special Membership Meeting Following a history of mailings for elections, it was proposed and passed thatnotification of the special September membership meeting be mailed to members who are currently active and to those who have worked in the past year. Interim General Manager's Report Plastic was removed from the ceiling in the warehouse and that area has been cleaned out. Most exterior painting has been done and the deli area in the store has been painted. The electrical upgrade has been completed by the contractor. Future Planning It was proposed and passed that several Board members will meet and come up with a planning process. September 4th Meeting Point-of-Sale (Scanner) System There have been some discrepancies in sales data. A representative from the company responsible for the point-of-sale system will visit the Coop during September to provide information that should help on this. Employee Manual The Personnel committee reported that all of the proposed revisions and updates to the manual are being collected so that a new, unified manual can be created. General Manager's Report The maintenance manager put a fan in the "boathouse" area of the store. This has improved the temperature control and airflow there. He is getting estimates for a dropped ceiling in the warehouse. A heating bar over the entrance of the store is being considered. This would cost about $3,000; staff is researching the operating cost. The Coop now has a larger capacity water machine. New organic standards go into effective on October 21. The interim general manager and assistant produce manager have attended training on this and will train other staff on compliance. Rearranging the produce section as part of this effort is being considered. Survey The planned survey for Coop customers has been written. The Membership committee will be reviewing it and passing it on to the Board for their consideration. Alternative Management System One of the staff representatives to the Board noted that the staff would be meeting to discuss the possible alternative management structure later in the month. Future Planning The Board members working on future planning presented a report recommending that future planning should encompass the Coop as a cooperative organization not just a store. The three constituencies of the Coop-members, Board, and staff-should have mechanisms to contribute to the process of providing vision and setting objectives. It was suggested that information on future discussions be posted so that members can be recruited for a planning committee. Central Avenue B.I.D. It was proposed and passed that the interim general manager and the treasurer of the Board of Directors serve as liaisons with the Central Avenue Business Improvement District. They will keep the Board apprised of developments, but will not make decisions independently concerning the store and the BID. Coop Scoop There had previously been some question about the Coop Scoop using the draft, as opposed to the final, minutes to report on Board meetings. (Note: the final minutes would not be available in time to make the next Coop Scoop after a Board meeting.) The Board voted that the draft minutes may be used. Minutes Minutes of all meetings are available at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted on the bulletin board. Upcoming Meetings Board meetings are scheduled for the following Wednesdays: October 23, November 20, December 18. Meetings begin at 6 pm and are held in Channing Hall of the First Unitarian Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue. It is recommended that anyone planning to attend a meeting confirm times and dates. |
CoopScoop
Home |
